FV432 RARDEN
The FV432 is the British armored personnel carrier variant. Since its introduction in the 1960s it has been the most common variant of the British Army's FV430 series, being used for transporting infantry on the battlefield. In the 1980s, almost 2,500 vehicles were in use, with around 1,500 now remaining in operation - mostly in supporting arms rather than front-line infantry service. The FV432 is equipped with the L21A1 RARDEN. The L21A1 RARDEN is a British 30mm autocannon used as a combat vehicle weapon. The name is a contraction of the R'oyal '''A'rmament, 'R'esearch and 'D'evelopment Establishment and 'En'field. History The RARDEN was intended to be retro-fitted to the FV432 armoured personnel carrier, but when fitted with RARDEN and its turret there was too little room left to accommodate the necessary infantry. FV432 The FV432 was designed to be the armoured personnel carrier in the FV430 series. Production started in 1962 by GKN Sankey and ended in 1971 giving approximately three thousand vehicles. The FV432 is an all-steel construction. The FV432 chassis is a conventional tracked design with the engine at the front and the driving position to the right. Directly behind the driver position is the vehicle commander's hatch. There is a large split-hatch round opening in the passenger compartment roof and a side-hinged door in the rear for loading and unloading. As in many designs of its era there are no firing ports for the troops carried - British Army doctrine has always been to dismount from vehicles to fight, unlike Russian infantry fighting vehicles that largely incorporate ports. The passenger compartment has five seats either side - these fold up to provide a flat cargo space. An NBC system on the right side of the hull gives fresh air for the troops. Wading screens and a trim vane were fitted as standard and an extension went on the exhaust pipe. The vehicle has a water speed of about 6 km/h when converted for swimming and was propelled by its tracks. Most of these vehicles have had their amphibious capability removed. FV432s in service with infantry regiments are equipped with a pintle-mounted L7 GPMG (if not fitted with the Peak Engineering turret). Vehicles with the Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers and Royal Signals were originally fitted with the L4A4 variant of the Bren light machine gun, but they now use the GPMG. When equipped with the GPMG, the vehicle carries 1,600 rounds of belted 7.62mm ammunition; when carrying the Bren LMG, the vehicle carried 1,400 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition (50 magazines, each holding 28 rounds). There are two three-barrel smoke dischargers at the front. L21A1 RARDEN The RSAF Enfield manufactured the Rarden from the early 1970s. However the RSAF was incorporated within the Royal Ordnance Factories in the early 1980s, in the run up to their privatization, becoming part of Royal Ordnance. Royal Ordnance (RO) planned to close Enfield and several other sites after privatization. British Aerospace (BAe) bought Royal Ordnance on 2 April 1987 and the closure of RSAF Enfield was announced on 12 August 1987. Most of RO Enfield's work was moved, prior to the closure of the RSAF, to RO Nottingham. Manufacture of the RARDEN was carried out at British Manufacture and Research Company BMARC from 1985. This company was purchased by BAe in 1992, becoming part of RO Defence; now renamed BAE Systems Global Combat Systems Munitions. Weapons ''European Escalation'' ''Red Dragon''''' Gallery FV432_RARDEN.jpg|Database image WEE_RARDEN_1.png|In-game render WEE_RARDEN_2.png|Ditto WEE_RARDEN_3.png|Ditto WEE_RARDEN_4.png|Ditto See Also * * *L21A1 RARDEN Category:European Escalation vehicles Category:AirLand Battle vehicles Category:Red Dragon vehicles Category:Fire support vehicle